


Between the Trees

by Ceedy_Boiii



Category: BTT - Fandom, Between the Trees, Original - Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Creepy, F/F, F/M, M/M, Other, Sci-Fi, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:28:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21774451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ceedy_Boiii/pseuds/Ceedy_Boiii
Summary: A comedically dark tale about a radioactive human and a demon, doing their best to survive in the harsh world. Sounds like your stereotypical teen novel, but there’s really so much more. Too much more...





	1. Prologue

April 26, 1986, 1 AM

A young, black-haired boy and his two little blonde siblings were out walking the streets of Pripyat, laughing and cracking jokes to each other as most children typically do, though their parents hadn't noticed their disappearance. He poked at his little brother, watching him squirm away and giggle, really just taking in all the senses around him. He laughed and gestured for his sister to join the ambush of pokes on their brother, to which she did. 

"Stop, stop!!" the blonde boy cried, tears in his eyes from laughing so much. He eventually got out of his siblings grasp and ran away at top speed, brushing his strangely long hair out of his face. He tripped a few times, but managed to stay on his feet. 

Their sister, on the other hand, was just as fast as the blonde brother. "Come back!" she yelled, now sprinting after him, her pink dress billowing in the cool night breeze. "We must go home! Mama will wake up and see we're gone!" she yelled, catching up to her brother. 

The black-haired boy watched his two siblings and smirked lightly, tilting his head off to the side before taking a few steps back. "Should we leave them, Elizabeth?" he asked, looking to his side as if he truly saw someone else there, but there wasn't. He clasped his hands inside his hoodie pocket before turning around and wandering off towards the apartments they lived in.

"Come on, it'll be okay, Kat! Stop freaking out!" the blonde boy giggled and stopped abruptly, looking to the large building in front of him. He glanced down to his sister and smiled like the mischievous seven-year-old that he was. "This is that nuclear power plant... follow me," he said and managed to find a way past the gates and fences. He pulled out his small portable camera and clicked an image of the reactor before casually going in. 

His sister pouted and ducked her head, following close behind him. "What if we get caught...?" she asked softly, being much quieter than usual. She heard someone walking by and grabbed her brother by the sleeve, dragging him into a shadowy spot. 

The boy shrugged and, when the coast was clear, continued quickly going deeper into the building. 

They eventually reached a spot that seemed to have nobody trying to go back and forth there, so he felt safe. However, only a moment later, there was a blinding flash of light, and nothing would be remembered from then on. The black-haired boy heard the explosion from across the town and gasped, turning around to look in that direction. No blonde siblings in sight. He resisted the urge to run back to find them and instead sprinted back towards the apartments, climbing into his rooms open window, as their apartment was on the first floor. He jumped in bed and waited for his parents to come running for him to evacuate the area.

A few weeks later...

The blonde boy opened his eyes slowly, glancing around the now destroyed room, his vision fuzzy. His sister was on the ground beside him, not showing any signs of life. He tried to move, to sit up, but he couldn't. His leg had been broken by a piece of the crumbling ceiling, but he didn't feel it, he just couldn't get up. 

A man in a gas mask and full radiation-proof attire came in moments later, shining a flashlight around the room. His attention immediately pulled to the two children and his eyes widened at seeing one still alive. He snapped a picture, shook his head and sprinted out, yelling in fast Ukrainian that a child was alive and needed assistance. 

The boy vaguely understood what he was saying, since he had lived in Ukraine for two years after moving from Russia for his parent's jobs. He gasped and got the strength to sit up, pulling his sister onto his shoulders and grabbing his little camera before locating a different exit from the room. He stood up and winced from the broken leg, but forced himself to get to a safe place outside of Pripyat entirely. The boy ran to a nearby forest before falling down behind a tree, trying to keep himself from screaming. Luckily for him, his father was in the army and had taught him how to temporarily care for broken limbs when on the run. He pulled off his now torn blue jacket and cracked his bones back into place before wrapping it up tight. He grabbed a sturdy branch and stood up, using it as a crutch, and picked up his lifeless sister once more before going off to find the nearest train station with a line back to Russia.

Meanwhile, back at the reactor, nearly ten more men in the same attire ran into the room, searching around for the children, who were nowhere to be seen. "Where are they?!" one man snapped in Ukrainian. "T-they were here a moment ago!" the other yelled back, digging around in the rubble. "They're gone! Get a party together! We must find those damned kids!" 

The boy eventually found a train station and looked around, trying to find where to get tickets. He groaned and shifted to put less pressure on his broken leg, only then catching a glance at himself in a window, his skin red and burnt from the radiation and fire. He let out a tiny sob and looked around for anyone. 

A worker there saw him and leisurely walked over, a confused yet sympathetic look on her face. "Hey there kiddo, where are your parents...?" she knelt down and looked into the boy's eyes, which seemed dry despite being full of tears. "Oh my god... what happened to you...?" 

The boy sniffled and shook his head slowly, looking down to the ground. "I-I-I d-don't know... I-I just wanna go h-home..." he whined, feeling the burnt skin on his face, probably peeling some off by accident. "I-I don't know w-where I am, b-but i-it's not s-safe... m-my home is in Moscow..."

"Oh, poor thing... we... there's a train headed out to Moscow soon... if I let you on, no charge, will you promise me that you'll find your family...?" the worker asked, wanting to help in any way she possibly could. 

The boy nodded slowly and shifted his sister on his shoulders, looking up to the worker now. "I-I promise..." he said and made his way back to the platform, waiting for the train to arrive. Waiting to be free from this disaster. Waiting to go home.


	2. Chapter 1

December 13, 2018, 7 PM

It was an oddly warm night for the dead of winter in the forest. The smell of fresh pear and apple pie wafted through the softly rustling trees, bringing a gentle, safe, and homey feeling to the otherwise dark and deserted acres. The stars were bright enough to drown out and dull the hazy yellow moon, softly glowing just over the horizon of the mountains so far off into the trees 

Footsteps were heard in the near distance to the cabin, crunching in the snow. They came from a tall, dark figure in a red cloak with lightly glowing yellow eyes, who collapsed to the ground with a grunt. It was none other than a demon, specifically one kicked out of Hell for being too friendly with the humans. He had thick, wavy, black hair that if it were any longer it would have covered his sharp yellow eyes. Despite the freezing cold, he wore simple black jeans and short black boots with no shirt.

Cedar, a beautiful Russian man resembling a wooden elf, poked his head out of the cabin door upon hearing the footsteps and the thud to follow. He glared upon seeing the demon, since he knew they were trouble as a good Christian man. Of course, he couldn't just let said demon die of hypothermia, so he slipped on his boots and dragged the demon inside the cabin. Moments after setting the demon in front of the fireplace, Cedar hovered over him, watching. Cedar decided to gently poke at the side of the demons face which to his surprise, it was soft like a humans.

The demon woke up abruptly, his yellow eyes shooting open. He sat up and scooted away, putting his hand on his own chest. "Did I- what happened- where-" He started, having no clue what was going on. 

Cedar, on the other hand, panicked upon the demon's waking, fell backwards onto his rear with a startled screech. "Who are you and what are you doing here?!" Cedar hissed through his teeth, quickly standing up and reaching for the dagger he always kept within arms reach of himself.

"No, who are you?" The demon asked back calmly, sweeping his black hair out of his eyes. "But, to keep you from being scared," He sighed, holding his hands out defensively, "I'm Abbadon, I'm here because I like exploring the world, and I mean no harm and I admit it was dumb to wander Siberia half naked,"

"Wait wait wait... you're telling me that you're... not here to wreak havoc on my home and family? You're not going to fool me into a life of sin?" Cedar asked in confusion, his neon green eyes dulling slightly. He was raised to fear demons, thinking they were only there to spy on people and ruin their lives, but to him, this one seemed... different. 

Abbadon blinked at Cedar, almost looking like a confused puppy. "No...?" He muttered questioningly. Abbadon had always thought of himself as a kind and loving man more than just some evil being. 

Cedar shook his head, dumbfounded. "You're kidding," he huffed, that dark look still in his eyes. "Well, you can't stay forever. I'll let you stay the night so you don't die, but the moment the sun rises, you are to be gone," 

The next morning...

Well after Cedar had gone to bed that night, it was silent. He was awoken by the faint scent of bacon from upstairs, which was odd considering he lived alone. Cedar slowly got out of bed, tugging down on his powder blue tank top before meandering up the stairs to the main level of the house. As he peeked his head around the kitchen wall, he was surprised to see Abbadon still in his home, attempting to make breakfast. "Why are you still here?" Cedar asked suspiciously, his long, pointed ears drooping downwards in the slightest. "It is far after sunrise, yet here you are,"

"Well," Abbadon started, turning around and dropping the spatula on accident, getting bacon grease on the hardwood floor. "Sorry- you were nice enough to let me, y'know, not die in the cold, so I figured I'd make you breakfast," he shrugged almost nervously, picking up the spatula and setting it back down on the counter. "Now, I'm not the best cook in the world, but it's a kind gesture, no?"

Cedar let out a heavy sigh, wandering over to the demon to get a look at the bacon, which was likely burnt onto the pan. Only then had he noticed just how short he was compared to the eight-foot-tall Abbadon with his six-foot-two-tall self. That made Cedar shudder lightly, knowing well that he was a literal twig compared to the man. "I'm... not hungry, thank you..." He murmured through gritted teeth, looking down to the burnt crisps of bacon. "Where did you even get this bacon? I don't remember having any,"

"Well, about that... I went out earlier when you were still asleep. Your fridge and cupboards were almost empty, so I got food you Russians like to eat... beets, potatoes, beef, all the other things," Abbadon shrugged, now trying hard to scrape the bacon off the pan. "And um... not to be rude or anything, but... you're so skinny and sickly looking... and it worried me," Abbadon added with a soft grunt as he cracked a bacon crisp off the pan, sending it flying across the room. 

The bacon almost hit Cedar, but he wasn't fazed. "It's not a problem, you know," Cedar retorted, knowing deep down that he had quite a severe case of anorexia, an eating disorder that makes a person have negative outlooks on their body that make them diet and exercise to a deadly level.

"Yes, it is," Abbadon huffed, "Now eat, please,"


	3. Chapter 3

Later that evening...

"So," Cedar started, tugging at his long, green curls gently. He stared down the demon in front of him, who was smiling like a child who had just been gifted cotton candy. "You don't plan on leaving any time soon?" 

"Nope!"

"Why...?"

"Because," Abbadon shrugged, "I just like it here!" He had other reasons as well, but they were more personal to him for now. Abbadon shifted his position on the couch, almost uncomfortable from the way the tree was pacing in front of him, watching him. "And um... you seem kind beneath that rough surface, is that true?" Abbadon asked, wondering, since he knew that Cedar could have easily left him for dead out in the freezing snow. 

Cedar grunted, looking into Abbadon's eyes. "It depends," Cedar shrugged, "If you are worth keeping around, then so be it. You have one week to prove your worth to me, if you insist,"

Abbadon perked up at that, his eerie and wide grin somehow getting wider. "I won't disappoint you!" He exclaimed, "Now, tell me about yourself. What's your name, first of all... heh," Abbadons cheeks went the slightest bit pink, realizing that he hadn't even bothered to get the tree mans name. 

"Cedar Volkov," Cedar muttered begrudgingly, leaning against a support beam near the couch. "I'm from Moscow, I speak Russian, as you can tell, Ukrainian and bad German,"

"How nice, it's good to know who you're staying with, Cedar," Abbadon smiled, giving Cedar a gentle nod. "Do you have a family? Any siblings?" Abbadon then asked, looking down to the floor. He had only just realized that family could be a sensitive topic, especially for himself. Abbadon was from Hell, after all. He never had a great relationship with his father or his brothers. Abbadon had always been one to brag and tease, which resulted in getting himself tossed into the realm of humans after the disappearance of his father.

A few seconds of silence passed. Cedar didn't know whether to trust the demon with his family information, but from the guilty look on Abbadon's face, he figured it would be fine. "Well... I live in this cabin alone, but my sister, Sakura, lives above the waterfall... I have a brother I don't quite remember, a few cousins, both of my parents, an uncle on both sides, and my grandmother," Cedar shrugged.

"Oh? Tell me about your sister," Abbadon smiled, a soft and kind yet genuinely interested gleam in his eye. 

"She's... strange, to say the least," Cedar chuckled. "She loves anime and manga, it's an extreme for her. I've made her a schoolgirl costume after she read Sailor Moon, and she hasn't taken it off since,"

"How cute!"

"I know! Her accent when speaking all languages is very strange. She's listened to so much Japanese that she's got hints of the dialect and inflection in her voice," Cedar gigged at that, the tips of his long ears perking up. "Then my cousins, God, they're so dumb. Both of them. One is a slutty Aussie that once crashed a firetruck during training, and the other is just American. Felix and David, the Wonder-Idiots,"

Abbadon let out a small, audible snort, the 'Wonder-Idiots' just ringing over and over in his head. "They seem awesome," Abbadon snickered out, brushing his dark, purple toned hair off his forehead. 

Cedar started to giggle as well, knowing his cousins personalities like the back of his hand. "They sure are a riot... David, however, oh man he's rich. He's currently supporting, like, all of us in the family aside from my dad. Hm... how about your family, Abb- Abbad- Abbabadad- however you say your name?"

Abbadon went silent for a moment. "You... you can just call me Abby," he started, now looking to the ceiling awkwardly. "Well, long story short, my dad's the king of Hell. He wasn't always the easiest to talk to, but along with my brother, Asmodeus, he was always on my side. My other siblings however... they didn't necessarily like me all that much. That's why I'm here, on Earth, I guess," Abbadon shrugged, almost as if trying to glaze over all the problems. 

Cedar hadn't picked up on his faking tone. «I'm glad you ended up here...» Cedar thought, but quickly shook it off. "Hmm, is that all?" He asked gently, looking up to Abbadon's eyes.

"Yeah- I suppose it is," Abbadon chuckled. "So, if you don't mind me asking, why do you look... the way you do?"

Cedar hesitated, averting his eyes back to the floor. He hated anything that had to do with the topic of his body and the way it worked. "I... well..." He started, although he knew deep down that he didn't have to share it. "I'm highly radioactive..." Cedar muttered, tugging on the blonde strand of his hair. It was almost inaudible, but Abbadon picked it up. 

"Radioactive, huh?" Abbadon asked, tilting his head in interest. "Neat. I have resistance to radiation, 'cause y'know, decay magic,"

"How..... what?" Cedar blinked a few times, surprised. "You're telling me that I... I won't hurt you if you stay around?" Cedar seemed almost amazed. 

"Is that why you didn't want me around? You were worried you would hurt me?" Abbadon asked. 

"Yes..." Cedar murmured in reply, looking away out the window. The snow was too deep for anyone to easily leave at this point. "I can't help it. I've accidentally killed at least thirty-two people because of it..."

Moments passed, the clock ticked on as the wind blew through the trees, rustling their thin little pine needles. "Thirty-two," Abbadon repeated with a soft chuckle. "So you were that kid... well, I won't be someone you gotta worry about, okay?" 

"That kid...? If you say so..."

Abbadon smiled kindly, holding out his arms as if asking for a hug silently. Cedar recognized the notion, debating in his head whether it would be safe or not. He slowly scooted over, resting his head on the demons chest with a small, loathing grunt. Cedar was surprised when the tall, purple demon wrapped his arms around him in a way that could only be interpreted as 'you're safe, it's okay'. 

Abbadon hesitated for a moment before resting his chin on top of Cedar's head with a quiet sigh. He was pleased to fee that the curls were soft and well taken care of for someone like the bipolar anorexic. "See? I'm fine, Cedar," Abbadon chuckled, moving his arms off Cedar, who grunted.

Cedar moved back to his spot on the other side of the couch. He brushed his long, thin fingers through his own hair, most likely getting them tangled in a few small knots and and kinks in his hair. "That's what they all say," Cedar pouted, only pulling harder on his hair until the kink came undone. "They all think they're fine then they die..."

"Well, I beg to differ, Cedar," Abbadon smirked. "If I survived earth when the Black Plague was a thing, same with World War Two, I'm pretty sure I'll be okay. Can you at least try to trust me?"

"Not yet,"

"That's understandable..." Abbadon huffed, defeated. It was amazing how quickly the demon could be brought down with his own thoughts and actions, but he didn't know any ways that could potentially make it better. 

"Look," Cedar started before falling silent for another moment. "Change of subject... when I mentioned the midnight train-ride from Kiev to Moscow... you said something like 'so you're that kid' or something. Were you, by chance, on that train?"

Abbadon looked up to Cedar, his yellow eyes soft in the gentle red lighting in the interior of the wooden cabin. "I was, and I remember watching them all drop like flies after you got off. I left at the same stop just before departure when I noticed something was wrong, I mean, being framed for manslaughter isn't necessarily the best way to live,"

"I suppose it isn't," Cedar sighed, tugging one of his curls, which Abbadon grabbed his wrist and moved it away for safety concerns when it came to self harm. "But of course, my radioactivity has decreased over the years, how long has it been at this point...? From eighty-six to eighteen, meh it's a long time,"

"So it is, isn't it?"

"Indeed," Cedar grunted, reaching for the half-empty bottle of vodka beneath the couch. He popped out the cork and took a swig, holding the bottle out to Abbadon had he wanted any. Abbadon obliged and took the bottle, pouring it into his mouth without touching the rim in respect for the trees views on what's socially acceptable and what isn't. 

Cedar took the bottle back, re-corked it, and rolled it back beneath the couch, satisfied to hear it clink up against the wooden wall of the cabin. "Well, Abby," he started, glancing up to the demon for the first time in what seemed like forever. "What can you do that's useful?"

Abbadon thought about that for a long moment. Maybe even two long moments. "Well I... hm. What can I even do? Well let's see, I've been told I'm great company, if you ah... know what I mean..." he raised an eyebrow at Cedar, who squinted. 

"I don't know what you mean nor do I want to," Cedar huffed, crossing his thin arms over his chest and picking at a small scar which had been there forever. "Oh innocent child-" Abbadon snorted, grinning in a way that read as problematic but making an effort to seem happy. "Well, I won't say it, don't worry,"

"I have the right to worry," Cedar said blandly, not really knowing just how to retort just a bit more against that. If anything, he actually wanted to know. He was genuinely curious as to what the demon had hiding beneath that beautiful wide smile. What happened while he wasn't around the forest. "Well... look. Let's just change the topic," Cedar grunted out. "How long have you been wandering this part of the earth?"

"Hmm let me think on that... well, I've been making my way around Russia and Canada for the past twenty or so years trying to find the exact North Pole, which is harder than you'd expect when you don't have heated transportation," Abbadon chuckled, leaning over to rest his elbows on his knees. The demon let out a gentle sigh, looking to the rose patterned rug on the floor. He then looked around the room, realizing the abundance of other roses. "I take it the Rose is your favorite flower?"

"Yes it is," Cedar nodded slowly. "It's just so beautiful. A Rose is complex, it has layers, just like me," Cedar added, looking at one of the small golden roses in a vase that his best friend, Makano, who was a short tempered alien queen, had given to him on his fifteenth birthday. Thirty immortal golden roses straight from Gominien. 

Abbadon's eyes averted to the same vase of roses with interest. "Why do you say that?" He asked gently, leaning a bit closer to Cedar, who didn't seem to notice. "I... have my own issues that take a while to understand," Cedar started. "They layer on top of one another, and it's hard to work it all out without pulling it all apart in the most painful ways possible,"

"Well that took a dark turn-" Abbadon wheezed, slightly choking on his own words. "I honestly wasn't expecting that, but okay! I understand now," he glanced up to Cedar, only now realizing the dark, sullen shapes of his face. Silence fell between the two, a rather long time passing before anything else was said. 

"But do you really...?" Cedar asked, glancing to Abbadon, making eye contact with the demon. "Do you really...?"


End file.
